Thursday, April 02, 2009

Lightning Shut Down Lecavalier

It looks as though Vincent Lecavalier will be shut down early again this season, as he'll undergo surgery on his wrist on Friday, keeping him out of the final week of the season. Last season, Lecavalier suffered a shoulder injury in the second last game of the season, which shut his season down early. Again, the Lightning are nowhere near the playoff picture this season, so there is only a reward for taking him out of the line-up now and that's to be 100% come training camp in September.

It has been an underachieving season for Lecavalier this year, as he only reached in for 67 points this year in 77 games. He almost made the 30-goal plateau, scoring 29, but it really wasn't enough for the Lightning or for Wes, who had him in the Draft. The wrist injury does beg the question, how much of his below-par season was due to the early coaching difficulties, team structure or wrist injury.

It may be a little early to say that his stock has dropped for fantasy purposes, as the Lightning and Lecavalier did have their share of problems. I would be keen to see whether a full season of the same coach and a full bill of health in October will bring his numbers back up to the 100-point mark. He shouldn't be too hazardous to your team, especially if you get him in a bargain spot.

Click here to see an updated injury page.

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